Remember Me? Summer Recap

So I've taken a huge blog hiatus which seems to be the norm for me. Whatever. Sometimes it just gets to where the blog feels like one more thing I have to do, and if I'm not enjoying it, I just need to take a break. But I'm back for now. For today at least :)

There have been a lot of things going on around us lately. I have a lot I want to say, but right now I'm still sorting through. Nothing groundbreaking, I promise. Until then, let's have an update, shall we?

Wednesday nights at church. My big boys and some of our favorite friends!

Bray went to Southern Miss football camp again this summer. 

Football in action!

Trace was a huge fan :)

I hosted a baby shower for my dear friend Kisha at the home of one of our church ladies.

Kisha and Jan, both preggers at the time! Kisha and Dax are doing amazingly and Jan just had her triplets yesterday!

We took an overnight trip to Jackson and got to hang with the uncle at the Natural Science museum.

All my favorites!

Museums rock.

Spent some time at the splash pad at Renaissance. Guess which mom forgot to bring towels? This one.

The boys came to work a lot this summer and helped out! Caleb's my statement stuffer.

And mail opener. Bray prefers to work out front or build something while he's at the store.

We spent lots of afternoons tubing at Flint Creek. Got to have the uncle around for one of those too.

Trace...he's such a trooper!

Brothers!

A few of my favoritest people in the entire world!

Birthday lunch for Cyd and Kisha (with Dax) and Amy!

Date nights with our best friends, Cyd and Wayne

Took an anniversary trip to Boston in August (although our anniversary is in June!)

Watched our Red Sox play! Saw a triple play from 3rd to 2nd to 1st. 

Pretty sure that may be a once in a lifetime occurrence. 

Dinner dates with my hubs in Boston.

We ate lobstahhhh.

Complete with bibs. Oh yes. 

Surprised my mom in Jackson for her birthday.

Love Caleb's face on this!

Well, that brings us up to September. I purposely skipped our Disney trip in July because that is probably multiple posts in itself! I promise I will work at blogging more frequently! :) Ya'll hang in there with me.

Meaningful Monday

...a post of something meaningful in my walk with the Lord this week.


Listen to This:

"I'm a Lover of Your Presence"- Bryan and Katie Torwalt

Remember This:

"My own flesh is twice the enemy to me that Satan is. Once we know how, we do not hesitate rebuking Satan, because we despise him. On the other hand, we dearly love our own flesh. We have far more difficulty rebuking it."  -Beth Moore

What God's Word Says:

Romans 7:14-25

The Message Paraphrase (MSG)

 ^14-16I can anticipate the response that is coming: "I know that all God's commands are spiritual, but I'm not. Isn't this also your experience?" Yes. I'm full of myself—after all, I've spent a long time in sin's prison. What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary.
 ^17-20But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.
 ^21-23It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
 ²⁴I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?
 ²⁵The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

Young Retailer of the Year

Back in February, one of our hardware suppliers, Handy Hardware, nominated Jeffry for an industry award. We were interviewed and gave the interviewer the needed information for the application. We really didn't think we had much of a chance to win because it's a national award, but you never know.

Well, Jeffry DID win Young Retailer of the Year, an award bestowed by the North American Retail Hardware Association. This is a huge honor! Jeffry and I flew out to Vegas in May for him to receive his award along with 4 other deserving retailers. I am beyond proud of my husband! 

If you'd like to see Jeffry's application, complete with photos of our store, click here, read the intro and then click more info to see the entire portfolio. It's pretty impressive if I do say so myself!

Here are some photos from our trip to Vegas!

Ginny (one of our bffs and the mastermind who designed Jeffry's nomination portfolio) and me in the limo headed to the NRHA Awards Ceremony

Jeffry with the Hall of Fame boards

Our place cards at the tables on stage

Jeffry walking up to receive his award

The 5 honorees for 2011

Jeffry and me with Lynn Bradley of Handy Hardware

Jeff and his dad with his award! 

Dixie National and Little Big Town!

I am obviously way behind in posting this, but here are a few pictures from when we went to the Dixie National Rodeo and saw Little Big Town perform.

Bray with his cowboy hat and corn dog!

Caleb with his new cowboy hat.

Bray bear...notice the cowboy shirt.

The girls of Little Big Town!

Jeffry can you see?? haha

We were able to get pretty close!

My hubby and me!

They put on an awesome show.

Getting the crowd to sing out!

We had SUCH a great time! The boys are really into cowboy stuff so the rodeo was a hit for us. We will definitely be going again next year. Little Big Town was the highlight for me!

Dirt Bikes!

We've spent several weekends camping and letting the boys ride their dirt bikes! 

It's been a lot of fun for them because several of the kids from church have bikes, and they can all ride trails together. 

Jeffry checking Bray's tire

Caleb and Paris

Bray bear

Off he goes!

Caleb with a double thumbs up :)

All the bikes and gear

Love this guy